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November 28, 2006
Who cares about ethics?
By David Binkowski
I was floored when a co-worker sent me this article from MarketingVox. It talks about the Edelman/WOMMA ethics review and concludes with this:
"In the long run, does any client really care if its agency is a member of WOMMA? Of course not. Some people will see this as [Edelman's] taking the arrows for its client," Dave Taylor, founder of Intuitive Systems consultancy, is quoted as saying.
Dave Taylor — you're incorrect, my friend. The company writes the check, sure, but ultimately the consumer writes the company's check. Do they care if Edelman is a member of WOMMA per se? Maybe not. But to suggest that consumer don't care if they're lied to or not is ridiculous. And that will hurt the bottom line in the long run.
Tagged: Dave Taylor, WOMMA
Posted by staff at November 28, 2006 03:56 PM
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Comments
Good point, David.
Clients and consumer don't necessarily care *how* an agency or its marketing department conducts its business -- other than if it gets results and does it cost effectively.
But, things like being ethical, involved in the industry, even community involvement, etc., go into getting results and being cost efficient. They're the intangibles of who/what the agency and its employees are.
And, that who and what that makes up an agency and its people determines how it operates and the level of its success in achieving positive results.
It's all connected.
With one weak -- or unethical link -- there is no regular, long-term success.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Driehorst at November 28, 2006 09:46 PM
The interesting thing, David, is that isn't what I said to the reporter when I was interviewed. I think that Edelman screwed up, and I think that WOMMA demonstrated its lack of teeth by not doing much at all, but I certainly don't recall saying anything about Edelman taking any arrows, or similar.
**sigh**
Nonetheless, sorry, WOMMA has not established itself as an important ethics body in the PR world and its lack of timely response to the Edelman / Walmart issue is exactly why people are going to continue to view it as a "feel good" organization for PR folk who really want to be plugged in...
Finally, I never said that consumers didn't care if they were lied to. Quite the opposite, actually. Go onto my own blog -- http://www.intuitive.com/blog/ -- and read my many comments and discussion on this situation.
Posted by: Dave Taylor at November 28, 2006 10:53 PM
